Reps Vow Thorough Review of NDDC’s N1.75tn 2025 Budget
The House of Representatives has pledged to subject the proposed N1.75 trillion 2025 budget of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to rigorous scrutiny to ensure that projects captured in the proposal translate into tangible development for communities in the oil-producing region.
The assurance was given on Tuesday by the Chairman of the House Committee on NDDC, Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, during the commission’s budget defence session at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
Ibori-Suenu stressed the need for strict budget discipline, noting that every line item in the 2025 budget must be purposeful, people-centred and aligned with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
She described the NDDC budget as a critical instrument for delivering federal development interventions in the Niger Delta.
“The importance of the NDDC budget cannot be over-emphasised. For the people of the Niger Delta, this budget represents hope, opportunity, and the promise of a better quality of life,” she said.
According to the lawmaker, the proposed 2025 budget must be deliberately structured to address long-standing infrastructural and socio-economic deficits in the region, promote sustainable development, and ensure equitable distribution of projects across all beneficiary communities.
“The 2025 NDDC budget must clearly address longstanding developmental gaps, promote sustainable growth, and ensure that no community is left behind,” Ibori-Suenu added.
Earlier in his presentation, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NDDC, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, outlined the commission’s 2025 budget estimates, describing it as a “Budget of Consolidation” designed to strengthen the foundation for sustainable economic growth in the Niger Delta.
Ogbuku said the budget prioritises the completion of ongoing projects, improved accountability, and strategic investments aimed at boosting economic activities in the region.
He expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, and the National Assembly for their support, noting that the current management had consciously shifted the commission’s focus from a transactional to a transformational development approach.
According to him, the new approach is intended to ensure that NDDC interventions deliver long-term value, improve living standards, and restore public confidence in the commission’s mandate.
The budget defence session is expected to continue as lawmakers examine the proposal in detail before making recommendations for approval.
